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A review by halieghkai
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
4.0
The Vanishing Half explores the degree to which one hides their truth, vanishing almost, for social conformity.
Brit Bennett makes this clear through her brilliant character studies, unique yet parallel to the other. The characters fade in their own ways the more you read through the lens of Race, Gender, and Sexuality as a means to survive.
The journey started with twin sisters Desiree and Stella Vignes, born and raised in a small town in Louisiana called Mallard. We will soon learn that the populace, though Black, is incredibly colourist to anyone darker than their light complexion.
The twins become wary of their future from the night of their father's lynching to the day their mother announced they'll no longer have to attend school, instead, they'll work and help sustain their cost of living.
Refusing to limit their freedom and ambitions, Desiree and Stella ran away from home and never looked back, at least for a moment or a lifetime...
How the world perceives them influences their social mobility, so Stella hides her heritage to pass as white, and Desiree hides her pain as her sister vanishes into a new life.
What I thoroughly enjoy about The Vanishing Half is how it doesn't only center the twins. The side characters with vague background stories I like to call 'Vanishing Halves' made the story whole. They played an integral part in the main characters' lives instead of being treated like props.
I grew a deep adoration for the relationship between Jude and Reese, their patience and intimacy, with the rough patches, smoothed out through conflict resolutions. The beautiful Trans representation surprised me and drew a different take on 'passing.'
There's an honest portrayal of generational trauma tied in with the repercussion of the twin's life choices. It affects their daughters in analogous ways that set them apart and bind them with the very thing their mothers hide, the vanishing truth.
My critiques;
• The lack of the Show-Not-Tell technique, which often ruined the cadence in meaningful scenes.
• Brit Bennett's writing was simplistic yet effective but didn't have quotable moments.
• The story was set between the 1940s to the 1990s' making the timelines a chore to keep track of while reading through various POVs. The reading process would've been less chaotic if each character had their own chapter.
• I also wished there was a deeper exploration of how growing up around Domestic Violence influences the types of partners a child chooses. There was a window for that in Chapter 4 when Jude romanticized the mistreatment of a boy who bullies her during the day and kisses her only at night. Also, how Maman (her grandmother) would perpetuate the harmful rhetoric that a boy only bullies you because he likes you...
Despite my critiques, the good outweighed it all. I thought the premise of the story is a powerful and unique one. As much as I couldn't put the book down the moment I started reading, I'm not compelled to read it again, but I'll surely recommend it.
Looking forward to the tv show/movie adaptation!
Brit Bennett makes this clear through her brilliant character studies, unique yet parallel to the other. The characters fade in their own ways the more you read through the lens of Race, Gender, and Sexuality as a means to survive.
The journey started with twin sisters Desiree and Stella Vignes, born and raised in a small town in Louisiana called Mallard. We will soon learn that the populace, though Black, is incredibly colourist to anyone darker than their light complexion.
The twins become wary of their future from the night of their father's lynching to the day their mother announced they'll no longer have to attend school, instead, they'll work and help sustain their cost of living.
Refusing to limit their freedom and ambitions, Desiree and Stella ran away from home and never looked back, at least for a moment or a lifetime...
How the world perceives them influences their social mobility, so Stella hides her heritage to pass as white, and Desiree hides her pain as her sister vanishes into a new life.
What I thoroughly enjoy about The Vanishing Half is how it doesn't only center the twins. The side characters with vague background stories I like to call 'Vanishing Halves' made the story whole. They played an integral part in the main characters' lives instead of being treated like props.
I grew a deep adoration for the relationship between Jude and Reese, their patience and intimacy, with the rough patches, smoothed out through conflict resolutions. The beautiful Trans representation surprised me and drew a different take on 'passing.'
There's an honest portrayal of generational trauma tied in with the repercussion of the twin's life choices. It affects their daughters in analogous ways that set them apart and bind them with the very thing their mothers hide, the vanishing truth.
My critiques;
• The lack of the Show-Not-Tell technique, which often ruined the cadence in meaningful scenes.
• Brit Bennett's writing was simplistic yet effective but didn't have quotable moments.
• The story was set between the 1940s to the 1990s' making the timelines a chore to keep track of while reading through various POVs. The reading process would've been less chaotic if each character had their own chapter.
• I also wished there was a deeper exploration of how growing up around Domestic Violence influences the types of partners a child chooses. There was a window for that in Chapter 4 when Jude romanticized the mistreatment of a boy who bullies her during the day and kisses her only at night. Also, how Maman (her grandmother) would perpetuate the harmful rhetoric that a boy only bullies you because he likes you...
Despite my critiques, the good outweighed it all. I thought the premise of the story is a powerful and unique one. As much as I couldn't put the book down the moment I started reading, I'm not compelled to read it again, but I'll surely recommend it.
Looking forward to the tv show/movie adaptation!